Review: Viera's food is seasonal and exquisite

The menu at Viera is small, but each item on it had stellar ingredients. Chef Benjamin Porter cooks everything on the menu from scratch.

Laurie HigginsContributing Writer

When you step inside Viera in West Harwich there is no trace of the Friendly’s that was formerly there. Instead, you find a modern and sleek candlelit dining room with an open window to the kitchen where you can watch the chefs create their magic. Our party of four was seated in a private corner table, the last table available in the house on Saturday night.

The menu at Viera is small, but each item on it had stellar ingredients. Chef Benjamin Porter cooks everything on the menu from scratch. Nothing is processed or pre-made, and all meat and poultry are antibiotic-free without added hormones. That means that no matter what you order, it will start with the best ingredients he can find. The menu also changes seasonally.

We started with cocktails and a basket of very crispy and delicious homemade bread. The Old Fashioned ($12) was stellar and wines were also very nice. The French Dom. Brunet chardonnay ($9) paired especially well with seafood.

Both couples wanted to sample the “Big Rock” Dennis oysters prepared three ways, but there was only one order left. We happily shared the dish, which was a bit pricey at $14 for six oysters. The oysters were coated in foam in three citrus flavors: lemon, lime and grapefruit. The grapefruit was especially interesting, but all were a light and fresh beginning to a wonderful meal.

Our friends split the crab-cake appetizer ($12). The crab cake was very good, but the celeriac remoulade and red pepper puree with a drizzle of dill oil really elevated the dish. We shared the classic Caesar salad ($9), and were happy with the crisp romaine, shaved parmesan and perfect amount of homemade dressing. The two white anchovies were a wonderful addition. I highly recommend that even people who think they don’t like anchovies try them. They were mild and tender.

For dinner, two of us chose the pan-seared Atlantic halibut ($32) from the eight choices on the entrée portion of the menu. The fish was very fresh and cooked to perfection. It was served with beautiful fingerling potatoes, and roasted asparagus in a lightly flavored sauce. The piquant sea cucumbers were a lovely addition. The menu said the halibut came with salsa verde, but our dinners came with a pretty little pile of pale peach strings of a lightly pickled vegetable that was impossible to discern in the dim light.

The Cape sea scallops and braised pork belly ($30) was another innovative and successful dish. The four sea scallops were perfectly seared so their exterior was sweetly caramelized but their interior was tender and moist. The two pieces of house-smoked pork belly were topped with shreds of sweet apricots. The combination of scallops and pork belly was a playful twist on scallops and bacon that worked really well. Both were artfully arranged around a smooth carrot and cardamom puree. Fiddleheads, currently in season, added color and crunch.

One of our friends ordered the Pineland Farms flank steak ($29). It was cooked to order, sliced and fanned out over a mound of mashed potatoes in an attractive presentation. The steak was topped with caramelized onions and a pat of ramp-infused butter that added nice seasoning. Roasted asparagus and carrots and a small crunchy crouton completed the dish. The steak was meaty and flavorful, but a tad chewy.

The entrees were sized so we could easily finish them all and yet still have room to split dessert. The mandarin cinnamon crème brûlée ($10) was divine. The crunchy top of the brûlée was echoed in a crunchy lace cookie sticking out at a jaunty angle on top. The lemon poppy seed cake ($12) was dense and equally good. Viera serves a mighty fine cup of dark roast coffee ($2.50) as well.

Service was outstanding. Our dinners took a bit of time to arrive, but when each dish is cooked to order that is to be expected. The prices at Viera make it more of a special occasion place, but the food is exquisite and prepared with love and care. You can’t go wrong with that combination.